Railway car structure



March 1, 1938. A. WASBERG RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1933 March 1, 1938;

A. WASBERG RAiLWAY CAR STRUCTURE- I Filed Oct. 5, 1953 s Shets-Sheei 2 v ..:..............1..dfl:::.....ii.

Patented Mar. 1, 1938 PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE Axel Wasberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Railway Equipment. Company, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Application October 5,

i 24 Claims.

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to box car sliding doors and associated structure, although not limited exclusively to the same.

It is a common practice to attach a relatively small door stop to a car side wall for the rear edge of the door to strike when it is opened. The railroads have considerable difiiculty in maintaining these backstops. If the door is not properly secured in the closed position, especially if it is of the free rolling type, door movement during switching operations, for example, will frequently tear off or badly batter the door back stop and sometimes damage the car walls to which the stop is secured. If the stop is secured to the door track, the battering of the door may bend the track out of alignment. Frequently the door itself is injured where the same. contacts with the back stop due largely to the fact that the blow from the back stop is concentrated on a a a at) small area of the door edge.

In connection with extra wide doors of the type commonly used in automobile cars, it is customary to provide an auxiliary door in addition to the ordinary door, the auxiliary door having a post mounted thereon which may be locked to the car'framing when the auxiliary door is in closed position. This auxiliary door post then becomes the front door post for the ordinary door which may be'shut to close the remainder of the door opening. When the auxiliary door is opened, the objectionable features referred to in the preceding paragraph are not only present but are likely to be accentuated because of the increased weight of the door due to its carrying the auxiliary post. Frequently the auxiliary post locking mechanism is so located that when the auxiliary door is opened the mechanism is positioned to be injured by the auxiliary door rear post on the body framing if the door stops referred to fail to function as intended. Also such location of the auxiliary door post mechanism tends to reduce the eifective length of the door opening which can be obtained.

One object of the present invention is to provide a door and stop arrangement which will avoid the above mentioned difficulties. Briefly, this object is attained by utilizing the body post at the rear of. the door opening as a stop and providing a member on the door for engaging the same to limit the movement of the door.

In the usual car construction, the door unit, whether single or auxiliary door, including its front and rear edging members, overlies the door posts, the inner face of the door body being outside of the outer face of. the post although the door and post may have supplementary spark and weather sealing elements overlapping each other transversely of the car. Since the over all width of the car, i. e., through the doors, can- 1933, Serial No. 692,229

not be exceeded because of clearance limitations, the inside width of the car is reduced by the thickness of the door unit and the thickness of the post and sometimes the sheathing thereon. It is another object of the present invention to so form the door post and door body that they overlap each other transversely of the car, thereby making it possible to increase the inside width of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide coacting door and post main elements of substantial thickness which will cooperate to form a secure spark and weather seal. It is further desired to maintain the maximum door opening irrespective of door and post parts provided for the general purposes mentioned above.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel mounting of the latching mechanism for an auxiliary door post so that the same will be protected from the auxiliary door rear post and from shifting lading or other objects movable relative to the door and likely to injure the latching mechanism in its usual exposed location.

Another object is the provision of an improved latching device having a limited number of parts and serving to lock the post at top and bottom independently but in which the operation of unlocking one latch will also unlock the other latch.

Other incidental objects will be referred to in the following description of the structure shown on the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the side sill, floor and side plate of a car at the door opening and showing the front edge of an auxiliary door and post, the section being taken on the line l-l of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1 looking from the inside of the car.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the door and door post construction and is taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an outside elevation of a portion of a car side structure including a single door.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section through the right hand or rear door post in Figure 4 and showing the adjacent portion of the door when in open position.

Figures 7,18 and 9 are sections corresponding to Figure 5 but illustrating modified forms of the invention.

Figures 1 to 3 inclusive include the upper portion of a car side sill channel I, a car fioor 2, a door track Z-bar 3, a threshold plate 4, a side cornice plate Z-bar 5, and a door upper retainer 6. The main door is indicated at "l and the auxiliary door at 8. Each of these doors is of steel construction including Z-bar front and rear edging members 9, l0, H and I2 and panel sheets 13 and I4 dished between the planes of the Z-bar flanges which define the outer and inner faces of the door bodies. The car framing includes the right hand door post I5 and the left hand door post It. Post l5 comprises an angle member lia, a plate I51) and a wooden flller lie. The left hand post comprises a similar angle I60, plate lBb and filler I60. The wall outer sheet I! and the inner sheeting ii! are of ordinary construction and are secured to the framing in the usual manner.

The auxiliary door post l9 comprises a channel or U-shaped plate Ha, riveted to the front edging H of the auxiliary door, and a wooden flller lab which is bolted to the longer leg of the plate l9a and fllls but a part of the space between the legs of the plate Isa, leaving a substantial space within which the latching and unlatching bar 20 may be mounted.

Plate |5b of the main door post extends outwardly beyond the outer face of the side wall of the car to the inner face of the door and then is bent to parallel the car side and terminates in an offset flange l5d which projects into the space between the inner and outer faces of the door body. When the door is closed, as indicated in full lines in Figure 3, the rear edge of flange 15a. is spaced from the web of the Z-b'ar 9 and a plate 2| secured to Z-bar 9 overlaps the inner face of flange l5d to form a sliding and yielding contact of greater or less extent depending upon variations in the manufacture of the door and post and wall structure. Irrespective of such variations, the contact will be sufficient to insure a seal against weather, sparks, dirt, etc., and without limiting the closing movement of the door.

When the door is opened, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3, the forward edging I0 strikes the offset flange lid and the latter serves as a stop for the door extending substantially throughout theheight of the latter and transmitting the blow from the door directly through the remainder of the post structure and through the latter to the car sill and plate. This eliminates the necessity of providing the usual car stops with possible damage to the car wall or door structure due to the bumping of such stops by the sliding door or to the failure of such stops altogether. It will be noted that the construction described does not reduce the effective width of the main door opening as the front edging I0 moves completely to the rear of the door opening as determined by plate lib.

The overlapping of the door and post structure, transversely of the car, makes it possible to reduce the over all distance, from the inside of the car to the outside of the door, below the minimum which could exist if similar post and door dimensions were used with the door framing overlying the outer face of the post in the usual manner. Hence, the inside width of the car may be increased proportionately.

The above described construction and function of the right handpost l5 and associated main door structure applies also to the left hand door post I6 and the associated auxiliary door structure.

The front edging ll of the auxiliary door 8 is provided with a stop plate between Z-bar flange and the U-plate I911. The outer oflset flange 22 on this stop plate cooperates with the auxiliary post plate I911 to form a pocket for receiving and stopping the forward edging III of the main door I. The inner flange 23 of the plate on edging H is spaced a short distance from the auxiliary door past and is disposed so as to abut against offset id of the main post when the auxiliary door is npened, as indicated in dotted lines, thereby transmitting the blow of the door directly to the door post throughout its. length and through the latter to the car framing. This eliminates the necessity of providing a door stop on the side wall for the auxiliary door and the disadvantages arising from the use of the ordinary door stop. Also the stop flange 22 prevents the abutment of posts I! and I6 and-the resulting tendency to twist the auxiliary post on the door, injuring the latter and damaging the latching mechanism.

The auxiliary post is secured in door closing position at top and bottom. A hook 24 is pivoted to a housing and stop casting 25 secured to the side plate 5 and drops into a hollow casting 26 casting 28 seated in the car floor. A casting 29 in the auxiliary door post guides the-lower portion of the latching shaft. Casting 29 also forms a housing for and journals the post supporting roller 2|.

When the door is moved to closed position, the lower end of shaft 20 will ride over the threshold plate 4 until the socket casting 28 is reached, when it will automatically drop into position, being supported by the shoulder S on the casting 29 and by the engagement of its upper offset portion 2011 with the ledge 26a on casting 26. At the same time the forward end of hook 24 will ride over the upper outer edge of casting 26 and automatically drop into position. When the door is to be opened, the latching shaft 20 may be dislodged by the handle 30. This will free the interengaging elements at. the floor and at the same time dislodge hook 24 to release the upper end of the post.

This construction provides independent latching of the upper and lower ends of the post although retainlng the desirable feature of a single operation for unlatching both ends of the post when the door is to be opened. The construction described above provides a simple, economical and effective arrangement of door and post structure for extra wide openings in the car walls and possesses the advantages indicated by the statement of objects at the beginning of the specification. However, many of the desirable features may be embodied in a single door construction as illustrated on the other drawings, and the post and door construction may be otherwise modifled.

In Figures 4 to 6 the right hand door post 40 corresponds to post l5 previously described but the cooperating rear edging of the door consists of an angle iron 4| and a supplementary sealing element 42. The door panel sheets 43 mount a rear plate 44 which cooperates with element 42 to yieldingly receive the flange 400 of the post plate 40a thus forming a sealing structure which may be more desirable. The front or left hand post 46 includes a plate 46a terminating in a.

pocket 46b facing towards the door opening and adapted to receive the flange of the door front edging 41. A front reinforcing plate 48 extends from the door sheets 43 to the outer flange of the front edging 41 and when the door is opened, as indicated in Figure 6, the offset portion 48a of this plate strikes against the offset portion 40c of the rear post plate which forms a stop for the door as previously described.

Figure 5 illustrates the application of a grain door 49 to the post structures, the latter being recessed at their inner corners to accommodate the grain door with the inner face of the latter flush with the inner side wall of the car.

In the modification illustrated in Figure '7, door posts 50 and 5| are of Z-section with portions of the flanges nearest the outer face of the 'car bent inwardly, as at 52, the wooden portions 53 of the posts being recessed at their outer opposing corners to receive flanges 52;

The door comprises flat body panel plates 54 having a W-shaped front edging 55 and a Z- shaped rear edging 56 and transverse reinforcements 51. The inwardly extending lip 58 on the front edging 55 projects inwardly of the inside plane of the door proper so as to abut against the inturned flange 52 of the front post to limit the closing movement of the door and to abut against the inturned flange 52 of the rear post to limit the opening movement of the door. A spark strip 59 on the front door post 5| cooperates with the forward portion of edging 55 to form a front seal, and cooperating strips 60 and 6| on the rear post 50 and the rear door edging 56 cooperate to form a rear seal. The recesses in the outer opposing corners of the posts permit the forward portion of edging 55 to move beyond the limits of the door opening X so that the latter is in no ways restricted by the interengaging door and post parts.

In Figure 8, the front door post plate corresponds to the plate 46a in Figure 5 but its stop forming element 65a is modified to accommodate the transversely disposed flange 66 of the angle forming part of the front door edging 61 to form the stop element on the door. The rear post plate 68 includes an offset portion 69 acting as a spark strip member and also as a stop for the projecting element 66 on the front of the door when the latter is opened.

Figure 9 illustrates a modification in which the spark and weather seal is rendered more effective by utilizing strips of rubber or like packing material 10 and 1| between metal portions of the door and post. This need not interfere with the use of the door rear post as a door stop and the provision of a stop engaging element on the door. In this modification a stop element. 12 on the rear door post Z-bar 13 projects outwardly from the side wall into the general plane of the door'framing so as to be engaged by the plate 14 corresponding to the plate 48 previously described.

Other modifications in different details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I contemplate the exclusive use of those variations which come within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening and a door post at the rear of said opening, a sliding door having front and rear edge framing members, there being elements on said door and post alined longitudinally of the door movement in the general plane of said members disposed to interengage to limit the opening movement of said door.

2. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening and a door post, a sliding door, said door and post having interengageable elements to limit opening movement of the door, the element on the door post being spaced rearwardly from the face of the post defining the side of the door opening and the element on the door being adjacent the front edge of the door so that the door when opened may move to a position to fully clear the door opening.

3. A construction as specified in claim 1 in 5 which the interengaging elements extend substantially throughout the height of the door whereby the shock of arresting the door movement is distributed over substantially the entire door structure.

4. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening and a post at the rear of said opening, a door having front and rear edglngs, there being a. member on said post cooperating with said door rear edging to form therewith a spark and 5 weather seal when the door is closed and cooperating with said front edging to limit the opening movement of the door.

5. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening and door posts at the front and rear of said 20 opening, each post including a weather seal element, a sliding door including a body panel overlying the outer faces of said door posts' and also including an inward-projection arranged to abut against said elements as the door is closed or 25 gpened respectively to limit the movements of the Ooh 6. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening and door posts at the front and rear of said opening, each of said posts including a Z-bar with 30 its web disposed transversely of the wall and with the edge portion of its outer flange turned inwardly from the outer face of the car wall, a sliding door including a body panel overlying at least one of said outer flanges and also including 35 an inward projection arranged to abut against' said inturned flange edge portions upon closing or opening movement of the door to positively limit such movement.

7. In a railway car, a wall including a door 40 opening and posts defining the sides of said opening, the opposing outer corners of said posts having opposing recesses extending away from the door opening longitudinally of the wall, a sliding door overlapping the outer faces of said posts 46 and provided with a member projecting inwardly and arranged to engage the post element at the inner end of either of said recesses to limit the movement of the door into the open or closed position respectively.

8. In a railway car, a wall with a door opening and including a post at the rear of said opening having a plate element extending transversely of the wall beyond the outer face thereof and with a flange extending along said face and away from 55 said opening, and a door having a rear edging including means for yieldingly gripping opposite sides of said flange to form a spark and weather seal and having a front edging for positively engaging the outwardly extending portion of said 60 plate to limit the opening movement of the door.

9. In a railway car, a wallhaving a door opening and a body post at the rear of said opening,

a sliding door of composite structure including a main door portion and an auxiliary door por- 35 tion, an auxiliary post carried on said auxiliary door portion and arranged to be secured to the car framing when said auxiliary door portion is in projected position or to be moved towards said post when said auxiliary door portion is retracted, 70 and means mounted on said auxiliary door portion independently of said auxiliary post for engaging said body post to limit the retracting movement of the door with said auxiliary door post spaced from said wall post.

10. A railway car door including a body panel, and a front edging including a member projecting inwardly beyond the plane of the inner face of said panel and including a portion facing toward the rear edge of the door to engage a stop on the car body when the door is opened and a part extending forwardlyfrom said portion to enter a weather seal pocket on the car body.

11. A railway car door including a body panel, and a front edging comprising an angular bar having one flange secured to said panel and having another flange projecting inwardly from the general plane of said panel and arranged to engage front and rear door post elements to limit the opening and closing movements of the door.

12. In a railway car, a side wall having a door opening, a sliding door therefor, and a door post in said wall having a body portion projecting laterally of said wall into the general plane of said door.

13. In a railway car, a body wall having a door opening, a sliding door therefor comprising an angular structural upright framing and panel sheets secured to said framing, and a body door post having a portion extending transversely of said wall beyond the inner face of said framing whereby the over all distance from the inner face of said wall to the outer face of said door is less than the thickness of said framing plus the thickness of said post.

14. In a railway car, a body wall having a door opening, a sliding door therefor comprising an angular structural upright framing and panel sheets secured to said framing, and a body door post having a portion extending transversely of said wall beyond the inner face of said framing, portions of said framing and post overlapping each other transversely of said wall having substantially parallel flanges extending longitudinally of said wall and yieldingly engaging each other to form a weather and spark seal.

15. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening and a door post, a door slidable along said wall and over the exterior face of said post, and a member on said post projecting into the general plane of said door and serving as a stop for said door when the latter is opened and as a weather seal element-when said door is closed.

16. In a railway caifa wall having a door open ing and a door post, a door slidable along said. wall and over the exterior face of said post, and a member on said post projecting into the general plane of said door, and elements on the rear and front edges of said door, respectively, cooperating with said member to seal the rear of the opening when the door is closed and to stop the door movement when the door is open.

17. Structure as set forth in claim 13 in which the door post member is spaced from the door opening and the element at the front of the door is spaced relative to the door opening so that when the door is opened and said member and element are engaged the door opening is un obstructed throughout its fullwidth.

} 18. In a railway car, a wall having a door opening with front and rear door posts, a door slidable along said wall and past said rear post, and a'member on said rear post serving as a stop for said door when the latter is opened and as a weather seal element when said door is closed, there being a cooperating weather seal element on said door.

19. In a railway house car having a door opening and a transversely extending flange adjacent said opening, a sliding door for closing said opening mounted upon the outside of said car, a reinforcing member secured to said door adjacent the forward edge thereof, said member being provided with a vertical transversely extending flange adapted to engage said flrst mentioned flange in the opening movement of said door to limit said movement.

20. In a railway house car having a door opening and a transversely extending flange adjacent said opening, means embodying a sliding auxiliary door mounted upon the outside of said car for closing said opening, a post secured to the forward margin of said door for movement therewith, a reinforcing member secured to said door and said movable post, said member comprising a vertical transversely extending flange adapted to engage said first mentioned flange in the opening movement of said door to limit said movement.

21. In a railway house car having a door opening and a transversely extending flange adjacent said opening, a sliding door for closing said opening mounted upon the outside of said car, a reinforcing member secured to said door adjacent the forward edge thereof, said member being provided with a vertical transversely extending flange, approximating in length the height of said door, said flange being engageable with said first mentioned flange in the opening movement of said door for the purpose set forth.

22. In a railway house car, a relatively stationary member, an outside sliding door for closing a door opening provided in said car, an inwardly directed flange carried upon the forward margin of said door, said flange lying in proximity to said relatively stationary member in the closed position of said door, whereby to cooperate therewith to provide weather protection for said door.

23. In a railway house car, a relatively stationary member, an outside sliding door for closing a door opening provided in said car, a vertical outwardly directed flange secured to said car adjacent the rear vertical edge of said opening, an inwardly directed flange carried upon the forward margin of said door, said door flange lying in proximity to said relatively stationary member in the closed position of said door whereby to cooperate therewith to provide weather protection for said door, and said door flange engaging said outwardly directed flange in the opening movement of said door for the purpose set forth.

24. In a railway car, a side frame including a side sill, a side plate and a side frame post between said sill and plate, a car side wall mounted thereon, a sliding door comprising a body with framing and paneling, there being an auxiliary post on said door body arranged to be detachably secured to said sill and plate, and elements carried on said side frame post and on the forward portion of said door body, respectively, and located between the inner and outer planes of said door framing paralleling said car side wall and opposing each other for limiting the opening movement of said door before said auxiliary post or an element carried thereby contacts with said side frame post and before any elements on said side wall interrupt the opening movement of the door.

AIEL WASBERG. 

